The next vehicle of significance in the Mitsu lineup is the 2007
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| New Outlander should give Mitsubishi a comparitive advantage on the crossover SUV market. (Photo: Mitsubishi Motors North America) |
Outlander, due in time for the heart of winter sales blitz - it goes on sale in Canada in February '07. Its styling, if you ask me, is a step backwards, becoming much more mainstream and harder to distinguish from the crowd, although I can't deny a certain aesthetic philosophy with the Eclipse, both of which have lost body cladding and detailing--which in the case of the current Outlander was not nearly so out of place as with the previous Eclipse--in favour of smooth, tasteful simplicity.
Though
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| It seats seven, and features V6 power. What more could you want? (Photo: Mitsubishi Motors North America) |
it may not reach the level of sales volume that the RAV4 will bring to Toyota or the Santa Fe to Hyundai, for that matter, with its more mainstream 'SUVish' looks (its proportions previously were terrifically crossover--taller and more chunky than a wagon, slimmer and less bulky than a real ute) it has grown in a similar manner, in size, spaciousness, and power. In fact, for the first time ever the Outlander will be offered only with a V6 engine. Nonetheless, it is a lightweight all-wheel driver with family hauling targeted as its primary objective. Questions of its reliability stemming from Mitsubishi's relatively unknown reputation might hurt it in some shopper's eyes, but Mitsubishi's 10-year/160,000 km powertrain warranty should instill confidence in serious tire-kickers and convince doubters that whether it's reliable or not, Mitsubishi will foot the bill.
One more problem that the Outlander might generate is that it is creeping into Endeavor territory, which still only offers seating for 5. The Endeavor should need no introduction to regular readers as they are sure to have seen months of effusive, glowing praise from our West Coast office in regards to its spaciousness, style, performance and comfort. Sounds like a pretty complete package, eh? I still hope they bring out a limited edition Ralliart-tuned Endeavor, as seen at the 2004 SEMA show, along with the
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| Endeavor gets a new grille for '06, but what it could really do with is a really powerful engine. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Galant Ralliart. That shade of red alone makes it worthwhile in my opinion, not to mention that a handful of other companies have blazed the trail with performance versions of their midsize utes. Look no further than Chevy's TrailBlazer SS, Range Rover Sport Supercharged, Porsche Cayenne, and the granddaddy of surprising power-to dollar ratio, Jeep's Grand Cherokee SRT8.
Then again, those companies all seem to know their audience, while Mitsubishi is still looking for the right balance of youthful image and mature pocketbooks to sustain long-term growth in this country, and in North America in general. Of course, that is the holy grail of most carmakers' marketing departments, finding the right mix of styling, features, pricing and advertising to make it seem like every kid just getting their license or graduating university into their first full-time job wants it, while every empty-nester, father of 3, or successful single woman will actually lay down cash for it, be it for herself or for her son or daughter who just graduated from university.
